CROW. 89 



him, except the king bird, who, on these occasions, teases and 

 pursues him from place to place, diving on his back while 

 high in air, and harassing him for a great distance. A single 

 pair of these noble spirited birds, whose nest was built near, 

 have been known to protect a whole field of corn from the 

 depredations of the crows, not permitting one to approach it. 



The crow is eighteen inches and a half long, and three feet 

 two inches in extent ; the general colour is a shining glossy 

 blue black, with purplish reflections ; the throat and lower 

 parts are less glossy ; the bill and legs, a shining black, the 

 former two inches and a quarter long, very strong and covered 

 at the base with thick tufts of recumbent feathers; the wings, 

 when shut, reach within an inch and a quarter of the tip of 

 the tail, which is rounded ; fourth primary, the longest ; 

 secondaries scalloped at the ends, and minutely pointed, by 

 the prolongation of the shaft ; iris, dark hazel. 



The above description agrees so nearly with the European 

 species, as to satisfy me that they are the same ; though the 

 voice of ours is said to be less harsh, not unlike the barking 

 of a small spaniel : the pointedness of the ends of the tail- 

 feathers, mentioned by European naturalists, and occasioned 

 by the extension of the shafts, is rarely observed in the present 

 species, though always very observable in the secondaries. 



The female differs from the male in being more dull coloured, 

 and rather deficient in the glossy and purplish tints and reflec- 

 tions. The difference, however, is not great. 



Besides grain, insects, and carrion, they feed on frogs, tad- 

 poles, small fish, lizards, and shell fish ; with the latter they 

 frequently mount to a great height, dropping them on the 

 rocks below, and descending after them to pick up the con- 

 tents. The same habit is observable in the gull, the raven, 

 and sea-side crow. Many other aquatic insects, as well as 

 marine plants, furnish them with food ; which accounts for 

 their being so generally found, and so numerous, on the sea- 

 shore, and along the banks of our large rivers. 



